Starlog: II. Data Entry Four. One

Since Star Trek is likely the only series that I've watched where there is a substantial use of fictional languages, I really have no opinion on Klingon's comparison to other languages of that type. I would not likely use Klingon in my daily life since I don't really know anyone who would be using the language. I did check a site https://www.omniglot.com/language/phrases/klingon.php which claims to contain “ a collection of useful phrases in Klingon, a constructed language created by the linguist Marc Okrand for the Star Trek films” to see if I could decide which words I might need to learn if I was to encounter a Klingon, or a person who knows the language. From that list I would likely try 'bIpIv'a' ' (the English equivalent is How are you?), and a few other terms which seem to indicate an interest in the person being spoken to.

Starlog III: Data Entry Three: One

In the video for this section, reference is made to technologies that may have translated from those used by the crew of star ships to those used in the present day, specifically the relationship of the 'communicator' to mobile phones of whatever version which is now being used. This technology may have made us more self-sufficient, but it has also meant that we spend a great deal of time concentrating on whatever form of communication that we use. While some may think of this as wasting time, the use of devices which allow us to relate to other people can also have many benefits.

The technology which I would say is making us more self-sufficient, while also causing us to be dependent on others (not always is a good way) is not a new one. I am referring to the internet, now mostly thought of as the World Wide Web, although the latter is based in the former. Like any communication technology, it can be be used to waste time, spread misinformation, and generally be annoying. It has also be extremely useful in learning new things, as in this MOOC and the many others which would not be accessible were it not for the internet. Whether we become more self-sufficient, and progress as humans through the use of this technology, or not, is entirely up to us, the user.

Starlog: III. Data Entry Two. Two

I'm not sure which Star Trek captain we need most in today's society, only that the leader needs to show an intelligent and compassionate approach to the problems that he or she is faced with. In one of the episodes (“Dear Doctor”, Star Trek: Enterprise) that I watched, Captain Archer insists on giving Dr. Phlox enough time to find a cure, or at least a path toward a cure, for the fatal illness faced by the Valakians on their planet, which was being visited by Enterprise. Even though the doctor doesn't believe that he should interfere with the serious problems faced by the Valakians, he and the captain are able to reach a compromise while acknowledging conflicting views which need to be dealt with. This ability to understand the other person's viewpoint is sorely needed in today's world.

As for Discovery's take on not focusing on the captain in season 1, I came to observe that some episodes put more emphasis on the opinion of the captain than others. In the episode, “Into the Forest I Go”, the captain is present, and has a certain point of view about the mission central to the story, but his crew members have other approaches to the problems that they face. This occurs to some degree in most of the episodes that I have watched – think Captain Kirk and Spock in the original series, for instance. I think that, if anything, the different approaches to the centrality of the captain, shown in this lesson, and others, caused me to think more carefully about the interactions between him, or her, and the crew.

Starlog: II. Data Entry Three. Two

The episode I watched in an attempt to answer the question posed in this section of the course was That Which Survives from Season 3 of the original series. The character of Losira at first is depicted as part siren and part destroyer, killing at least one crewman, D'Amato, on the planet,. When she appears on the Enterprise, she knows about the functions of the ship, and is able to kill Watkins with the touch of her hand. It seems that she must touch the men she is sent to destroy, but when she touches Kirk, he survives. She says that she doesn't “want to destroy”, but she “is for Lieutenant Sulu” and “must touch him”. When she very briefly touches Sulu and Kirk gets in the way, Losira has, as the Captain explains, “the power to totally disrupt biological cell structure”. Later, she does try to touch Kirk (and likely to kill him), although she doesn't want to kill, and only 'touches' because she is “sent” and “must defend this place”. Near the end of the episode, Losira becomes three copies of herself, each one designated to touch Sulu, Kirk, or Dr. McCoy. Then she is is revealed as having been replicated to protect the planet where the occupants have been long dead, so her mission seems to have evolved to be more of a protector than a destroyer.

This episode caused me to rethink my stance on sexuality in that I became even more aware of how sexual attractiveness, especially in women, is used to hint at danger or seduction, or seems to do so. The way that the plot in this episode developed, and the changing depiction of Losira, showed that the device of 'woman as seductress' is not always as negative, or as uncomplicated, as it first appears.

Starlog: II. Data Entry Three. One

I would say that the most important phrases to learn in another language are those that relate to the individual who is being spoken to. While it is important to have a knowledge of the structure of a language and the meaning of a word or phrase or sentence, to form a relationship with the people who speak that language, it is necessary to be able to relate to the person to whom you are speaking. So simple phrases that show an interest in the person being spoken to, and therefore their culture, are important. After all, the first thing we do when meeting new people within our own culture is to ask their name, and then go on to discover their personal details and those of their family and the places where they live.

Attempting to learn the language of a new culture shows that we are interested in that culture and the individuals who are included therein. Each language has different nuances, and while new learners may not understand the intricacies of an unfamiliar language, through persistent attempts to understand both words and speakers, they can show that they are truly interested in both.

While I really like the Ferengi as alien characters in Star Trek, their use of 'universal translators' in the Deep Space Nine episode “Little Green Men” does just the opposite to what I would see as being useful in providing understanding between cultures, since all it seems to be used for is promoting and facilitating trade relationships.